Jaap Rameijer's Blog

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Seven days in the South of France

I am so happy that the world has not come down. And that we all survived. And that we seem to be in good health and in good spirit. Not that I doubted it, but still, it is good to be sure.

Much has happened in the past seven days. Camera teams at les Labadous, lots of police and gendarmerie on the road, spiritual groups making spiritual tours in the area, and even to Lourdes, Joke in the hospital, Abraham Tol, our webmaster, at Les Labadous, a media hype that turned into a circus, the broadcasting of Femke and me on TV, articles in the newspaper, visiting the caves of Mary Magdalene, a beautiful day on the market in Esperaza and finally, peace in the valley.

Much information has already been shared on Facebook, but here for our loyal and lovely friends, an overview of what happened. Presented day by day.

What a day! It started with several interviews at Les Labadous by the camera team of EenVandaag, one of the foremost newsprograms in the Netherlands. Conducted by Marc Schrikkema, who had been here before. He asked me lots of questions,like what are the stories about the Bugarach, what do you think will happen on December 21st, what are the people afraid of and what are you going to do on that day?

Then we drove to Bugarach. At Ribambelle, the wonderful holiday resort for children, we found about 12 busses of the gendarmerie. They were all walking around, in uniform. So it is true. I never knew if the stories about a huge police force were true, but they were! So now it is for real dear friends. That realization really hit me.

We drove on to the Bugarach and took several more shots of me standing in front of that magic mountain. I was even asked to look for about 10 minutes straight in the camera. Not so easy.

In the village is was much busier then normal. There were lots of cars on the road, a helicopter was flying around the mountain and many campers were parked in the village.

We drove on, to the Col de Linas, the place were most people start their climb up to the mountain. There were several cars parked on the parking space including one from the gendarmerie.

We met a nice Italian man, dressed in blue, with a huge rucksack. After some hesitation he told us that he would climb to the top and stay there. Not for one night but for two weeks. Then he would come back to see the new world and the new people with a higher consciousness. We warned him that it would be very cold up there. And very dangerous with the harsh wind blowing. But he went cheerfully on his way.

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Between 1400 and 1500 the mayor of Bugarach had agreed to receive the press. The place was loaded. More then 30 journalists were there. The mayor was not so relaxed as he had been half a year ago. But that can be understood. For on Friday December 21st the prefet of the Departement Aude would be there and a high government official. And the whole area was soaked with police and gendarmerie. We did not see any military activity yet. The story will be broadcasted on Thursday December 20th between 1815 and 1845 on Nederland 1.

The Telegraaf, by far the largest newspaper in The Netherlands will also pay attention to this Bugarach enigma. They will most likely on Thursday December 20th publish an article about the Apocalypse in France

And that same evening my daughter Femke will be seen on Nederland 3. The program “Serious Request” From 1930 to 2020. Recorded live in Enschede!

We had an early start for we had a long way to go. All the way to Lourdes. To obtain a spiritual upheaval before the Apocalypse. It is more then 300 kilometres away. We went with the group of Nicolya Christi, altogether 6 people in two cars. It took us a little over three hours to get there.

And to our great surprise it was quiet, uncommonly quiet. There were just 4 or 5 people in front of the cave. Where normally there are long lines of people waiting for the Holy water, or for the cave, or waiting to light a candle, there was no one. We almost had the place for ourselves.

Nicolya stood a long time in front of the cave {PIC 05} and {PIC 06}. She could feel the energy. We then walked to the basilica, here seen from the side of the river {PIC 07}. A beautiful building. With a very rich interior. Huge chapels circled the inside perimeter, painting the life of Christ. There was gold everywhere. I was happy to find at least one chapel, portraying the crucifixion, where Mary Magdalene could be seen {PIC 08}. And on the altar stood this lovely goblet, with two doves. The Holy Grail? {PIC 09}.

After the basilica we walked back to the caves. Filling our bottles with Holy Water, saying goodbye to the Virgin, lighting a candle {PIC 10} and then to the place where we could be cleaned with water. That was a wonderful experience. Going into a small room with three very friendly, older men. Men and women of course in separate rooms. Getting undressed save for our knickers and each waiting for his turn. Next, one person at the time, going through a curtain into a room with three more nice men standing around a large stone bath filled with Holy water. After exchanging our slip for a wet towel I was led into the stone bath. Where I sat down with my head just above the water. I was given some water to drink and splash on my face. Then I was asked to repeat a prayer, in French, to the Virgin of Lourdes and touch her statue at the end of the bath. 5 minutes was all it took, but it was a wonderful experience. Especially the true kindness of the men helping us. And the same applied for the women. No towel to dry ourselves, the Holy Water would dry on our warm bodies. And it did.

I wrote, especially for our Dutch News Agencies, camera teams and for the newspaper De Telegraaf, an extensive essay about the Bugarach. It was called: “The Bugarach enigma. Fact or fiction.” I also wrote a special article, only one and a half page, for the Dutch magazine HP/de Tijd.

How did it start?

It is not quite clear how it all started. Bugarach has always been a special place. A place of magic and mysteries. So it is easy to start stories in high profile places like Bugarach. See {PIC 01}.

Maybe it started with plans for a windmill park in the Bugarach area. Windmills that would ruin the skyline. Windmills that would generate energy that would be exported to Spain. We don’t know. But there were protests, recorded protests against this Windmill Park as early as October 8th 2010.

Maybe it started with the Miviludes, “Mission interministerielle de vigilance et de lute contre les derives sectaires”, set up in 2002. Translated: Interministerial Mission for Monitoring and Combating Cultic Deviances. It falls under the Ministry of the Interior. The French are scared stiff of sects. That is why they set up strict laws against sects and cults.

Remember the massive massacre in Jonestown in British Guyana on November 18th 1978. Where 912 followers of the American cult leader Jim Jones committed suicide or were killed.

And remember also the Waco massacre where on April 19th 1993 55 adults and 21 children died on the WACO compound in Texas. Set on fire either by the FBI who had besieged the compound for 50 days, or by David Koresh, leader of the sect Branch Davidian.

Miviludes, headed by George Fenech, France’s No. 1 sect-buster, published a report on June 16th 2011, where he stated that Bugarach was already experiencing an influx of esoterics. Some wanted to move in permanently which was already pushing up prices of real estate.

The report is picked up in newspapers in France, in England and the States. Here is a quote from a London paper: “A French Government agency is preparing itself for mass suicides ahead of an Armageddon scenario predicted by a cult that the world is to end on 21 December 2012. Miviludes the French government agency that monitors cults and suspicious spiritual activities has said that France is at risk of mass suicides by converts of prophecies of imminent Armageddon”.

Mr. Fenech also told Reuters that he had recently visited Bugarach and found that the American Ramtha School ofEnlightment had set up six settlements in the surrounding countryside. Another group, active in the region, was the Swiss-based Raelian Movement, founded in 1974. This sect claims that life on earth was created by extraterrestrials. And there are more groups.

Then there is the story that the mayor of Bugarach, Mr Jean-Pierre Delord, who was becoming so fed up with the protests against windmills, that told a journalist that the village was suffering from New Agers and esoteric sects. Dancing, performing rituals and ceremonies and disturbing the peace of the village. He said that “if this gets any worse, he would call in the help of the army”.

That could have been for real, but it could also have been a diversion from the protests against windmills.

And maybe it was meant to attract attention to Bugarach. Describing the Bugarach as the place where extraterrestrials lived and had a large UFO base in the mountain. extraterrestrials who might be persuaded, after performing the correct rituals, to take the true believers to safety in their UFO’s on December 21st 2012.

There are also stories that the Bugarach area and the surrounding area, some say with a radius of 10 kilometres, others say 50 kilometres, would be spared when the rest of the world went down.

Or that the Bugarach Mountain holds a doorway into other dimensions.

But it could also be that the mayor was promoting his own interests. For he is the major landowner in the area. And was hoping to sell his houses and terrain for prices substantially higher than the current price.

Or he may have been encouraging tourism, which would be beneficial to his plans to build/renovate a large hotel. MakingBugarach into a second Lourdes. Just like the priest Berenger Sauniere who, after returning from a pilgrimage to Lourdes, wanted his place Rennes-le-Chateau, to be made into a new pilgrim site. He even had a name for it: “La Colline Inspire”. But whatever the reasons it was certainly good for the mayor’s ego.

Mr Fenech, who in 2012 was no longer president of Miviludes, wrote a book called “D’Apocalyps, menace imminente”. On August 23rd of 2012 he gave an interview to Le Figaro, where he poured some more oil on the flames of the Bugarach.

It could be an ancient volcano that blew its top about 65 million years ago when a huge meteor, the size of Mount Everest, hit the Yucatán peninsula. Extinguishing almost all life on earth. The top of the mountain was blown skywards, turned 180 degrees and fell back upside down. A treasure for geologists.

The mountain is sometimes called “The upside down mountain” or “The Mountain with its feet in the air”. Some say its is a dormant volcano. And indeed there is volcanic activity in the area. Think of the hot springs of Rennes-les-Bains. The highest top of the mountain is also called Pech de Thauze.

The Bugarach is a male mountain. Possibly because of its rough features. Where the Pech Cardou, shaped like a pyramid or the breast of a woman, is called a female mountain. Both mountains are often compared to Mount Sinai in the Sinai desert and Mount Moriah, or the temple mount in Jerusalem. Which is why Rennes-le-Chateau is sometimes called “The New Jerusalem”.

Two dwarfs lived at one time at this location. Called Bug and Arag. When the area was invaded by foreign armies the dwarfs put up a fierce resistance. The Gods were so pleased with their braved act that they granted the dwarfs a wish. They wished for a mountain that would shelter the three regions where they lived. The Roussillon to the southeast, the Corbieres to the north-east and the Aude to the west. The mountain is a true cloud breaker. It was named Bugarach in honour of the two dwarfs. The mountain is sometimes called ”The crossroads of the four winds”. See {PIC 02}.

The Arc of the Covenant is said to be buried in the Bugarach. The name points to that. Bug coming from the ancient words of Borough, or Broug and Arach from Arc. The same applies to the village of Arques, close to the Bugarach. There are also stories that Jesus and Mary Magdalene are buried in the here.

Mary Magdalene came to this area. She fled Palestine, with a group of followers, after the crucifixion of Jesus in 33 AD. She could have come to Bugarach, to Rennes-les-Bains, to Alet-les-Bains or to Rennes-le-Chateau. Claire Heartsong, also known from her book “Anna, the grandmother of Jesus”, thinks that she came to the valley of Bugarach where she established anEssene community. See the book “Anna, the voice of the Magdalenes”.

Another story mentions a settlement of Essenes on the hill behind Couiza, called Le Camp Grand, where once 200 capitelles, small stone huts, stood.

The mountain is also said to house an entrance to the Underground worlds of Agartha, where the Annanuki live. There are other entrances to this underground world in the area, such as, in the Aven cave near Les Labadous.

The mountain has several magical caves. There are stories that there is a huge lake under the mountain. And that the river Sals springs from this lake. Or that there are mines, where iron was mined. And crypts where people are buried. Sometimes, on very hot days, flames can be seen erupting from the mountainside. Like in the Andes mountains in Peru. Where gasses from the bodies and their garments caught fire.

Jules Verne wrote about this mountain in his book “Clovis Dardentor” and “Journey to the centre of the earth”. With captain Bugarach playing an important role.

And Steven Spielberg, who visited Bugarach, was inspired by this mountain in creating his famous movie “Close Encounters of the third kind”.

The Bugarach is said to house one of the five major UFO bases on earth. I have spoken with many, in my view very reliable people, including my daughter Femke and the well-known author Elizabeth van Buren, who have seen real UFO’s. Blue metallic objects hovering in the air above them or landing a short distance away. Several more people have seen real UFO’s and many more, including myself, have seen UFO-like objects silhouetted in the clouds. See {PIC 03}.

The Bugarach is said to house a portal to other dimensions. Others say it is a Time Portal. See the article called “La Porte du Temps” in the French magazine “Top Secret”.

The Bugarach is an important location in the sacred geometry of the area. Roughly the area covered by Alet-les-Bains, Bugarach, Serres and Brenac. With in the middle of this Holy Area the villages of Rennes-les-Bains and Rennes-le-Chateau and the Pech Cardou.

The area is said to encompass a virtual Temple of Salomon. See the books “Genesis” and “Geneset” by David Wood. The secrets of the Bugarach are closely related to the secrets, the magic, the mysteries and the treasures of Rennes-le-Chateau.

Inside the Bugarach are some special caves with beautiful crystals. There is also something in the mountain that is highly magnetic. Causing navigational equipment of aeroplanes to swerve and compasses to go haywire.

The mountain, 1230 metres high, has an enormous energy. Measured in microvolts. Only one other place in the Pyrenees has the same, high energy. That is the famous Cathar castle of Montsegur. A mountain that is as high as the Bugarach andis located on the same latitude. See the book “ Haut Lieux d’Energy”.

The first time I climbed the Bugarach was in 1996. I was together with my wife and our dog, called Mayday. A big Rhodesian ridge-back. A dog that feared nothing and no one. A dog used in Africa to hunt lions. This dog stopped halfway the mountain. Where the path comes out of the forest and starts up the rocks. Mayday refused to go any further. Nothing could bring him to climb that path. At exactly the same spot, a few years later, a woman stopped. She too could not go any further. And a good friend of mine, a famous Dutch cosmologist, stopped in 2011 only 30 metres under the top. He could not go any further. “If I go further, serious accidents will happen”, he told me.

Some people, who had bought houses in the vicinity of the mountain, could not live there. The energy was too high. It was driving them crazy. Their bodies were not able to “handle” the energy rising up from the earth. They had to sell their houses. Other people, like my daughter Femke who lived for a few years in Bugarach, could handle this energy very well and even liked it.

Close to the Bugarach is the Chateau Templiers, formerly called Chateau Albedun. See {PIC 04}. It was an important Templar commandery, where gold coins were minted and where the famous white gold powder “Ormus” was made. In the morning of October 13th 1307 all Knights Templar in France were apprehended as ordered by King Philip Le Bel, king Philip IV. People, reliable people have witnessed, in the night of 12th to 13th October, how ghosts dressed in white robes with a red cross, descended from the Chateau Templiers and walked to the Bugarach. There they disappeared in an ancient cemetery. Now, every year, especially when the 13th of October is on a Friday, lots of people gather at the foot of those mountains. Staying in caravans, campers and tents, or in the open air. They are there to witness this extraordinary spectacle. I have been there too, but saw nothing.

The mountain has many faces. The Pic Grosse sometimes looks like a bear. To others it is a sitting Buddha. See {PIC 05}. And very clearly a huge eagle can be seen ready to spread its wings and fly down to the village. See {PIC 06}. Many facescan be seen in the various rock formations. See {PIC 07}. There is even a beautiful phallus, complete with impressive balls. See {PIC 08}.

The mountain is also called the mountain of God, for seen from the north the silhouette of the mountain resembles the face of Jesus, looking up in the sky.

Many times I have witnessed strange clouds near the mountain. Clouds that do not appear at other places. Some had the shape of a huge spaceship. See {PIC 03}. Others were like small UFO’s lining up for landing in the mountain. Just like aircraft lining up for an airport. I could not see the UFO’s themselves, but only their silhouettes. The UFO’s clearly operate in a different dimension or in different frequency spectres. But they somehow seem to interact with the clouds.

The village of Bugarach resting at the foot of the mountain, see {PIC 09}, has only 200 inhabitants. It also has a strange church. With stained glass windows where people have no faces and with one stained glass window that shows a ship at sea with a wheel of fortune attached to the mast and two people hanging on to the wheel. See {PIC 10}. There is even the story that a powerful ghost is living beneath the altar. Some people have heard him growl.

What will happen on December 21st. There are many stories. The all speak of the Apocalypse of the world. However the world “Apocalypse” does not mean catastrophe as most people think. It means Revelation.

The date is important in the Mayan calendars. It is the end of various time cycles. From short time cycles of 6 years to large time cycles of 13.000 years. In the eyes of the Mayans time is not linear but cyclic. But nowhere in their records is it mentioned that the end of the time cycles heralds the end of the world.

On the 21st there will be an important line-up of celestial bodies. The earth, the moon, Venus, the sun and the centre of the Milky Way, will all be in perfect alignment. Enormous cosmic and gravitational forces will be applied to the earth. Causing, possibly, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Some think that the earth will broaden at its equator. Or that the axis of rotation will shift up to 30 degrees. Or that the magnetic poles will shift and maybe even become inverted.

Then there is the danger of huge sun flares and solar winds. Where masses of electrically loaded particles and radioactive radiation can cause immense fires on earth. And disrupt all electrical systems.

The strange planet Niburu from outer space could pass the earth again. A close passage of this planet, that is almost as big as the earth, would cause huge flooding’s, all over the earth. And if the planet should enter the earth atmosphere, it would cause enormous fires.

Some say the earth will pass through a huge electromagnetic field.

The earth may also be struck by meteorites. Causing substantial damage, depending on how large the meteorites are.

What is happening now?

Many books, magazines and articles have been written about the Bugarach. Most in French and in several other languages.

From 2011 onwards the interest of the world is clearly focussed on Bugarach. Although other,special places are also claiming to be refuges for the coming Apocalypse. Like in Peru and Serbia.

I don’t know what will happen. At the moment nothing much is happening. There is no major invasion of New Agers or other esoteric groups. There is no major sale of houses and property. Several houses in Bugarach are still for sale for exactly the same price as three years ago.

There are no major reservations for busses and other means of transport by people or organisations that want to go to the Bugarach. With the exception of course of the gendarmerie and the military who have their own transport.

The local hotels, Chambres d’Hotes and B & B’s only have regular customers. No New Agers, no special groups, no sects. Only some journalists and camera teams.

The story now seems almost entirely to be kept alive by news programs like CNN and NBC and similar news programs and news agencies in Europe.

Journalists too keep the story alive. Every two days a new article is published in the local newspaper in Limoux. And then quoted by other newspapers in France and the rest of the world.

Camera teams are coming to this area from all over Europe. News agencies are calling residents of Bugarach and the surrounding villages almost every day to provide them with up to date news.

In Bugarach there is, up till now, December 14th, no major activity. However people expect things to start heating up from December 18th onwards.

The village will be closed off from December 19th to December 23rd. About 200 gendarmes will be there and 50 pompiers, firemen who are also first aid workers. There will be police on horses to patrol the footpaths leading to Bugarach. And a substantial amount of military personal. There will be helicopters and airplanes. They are already flying over the area.

The gendarmerie and military will be housed in schools and holiday parks like Ribambelle.

The inhabitants of Bugarach and the people who need to pass through this village, can get special passes at the Marie (town hall).

It all seems a bit heavy, to put it mildly. There are stories that the real motive for closing off the village and for preventing people to climb the Bugarach, is a military and or scientific motive.

Some fear that the military will use this opportunity to investigate the caves of the Pech Bugarach. Searching for the source of the immense energy of the mountain. And the source of the immense magnetic power, embedded somewhere deep in the mountain. The locals and guides fear that the military will harm or destroy the caves and the crystals.

But it is of course entirely possible that several hundreds of doomsday believers are hiding away in the area waiting for the moment to come en masse, or individually, to the mountain. Hoping to be saved by UFO’s when the world goes down. Or hoping to pass through special doorways into other dimensions.

Several news agencies in Holland have shown an interest in what is happening in the region. Among them the newspaper Telegraaf and the news programs Pauw & Witteman, BNN, EenVandaag and Nieuwsuur. Some of them are even coming this way.

The foremost question they ask is if I know people who really believe the world will come down, and who are willing to say so in front of the camera. The second question is if can they participate in or film the ceremonies that will be held in this area. So far I have not been able to find a person who really believes the world will perish. The Dutch are, generally speaking, far too down-to-earth for such stories. And if there are believers, then they will be extremely reluctant to say so in front of a camera.

In the USA things are different. There are many who really believe that the end is near. And they are not afraid to say so. Very popular TV programs closely follow these so-called “preppers”. Maybe the Americans are a bit easier to manipulate, maybe they know things that we don’t, or maybe their government and secret societies have had more time and experience of putting fear in them.

My views and advice

Again, I don’t know what will happen. But I have a feeling that something will happen. Something extraordinary. It is just a feeling, no more than that, just a feeling. Something will happen, something important and something good. A clear sign will be given to the people of the Earth.

Maybe it will be a real Apocalypse. After all Apocalypse means Revelation. And there are many, many secrets “buried” in this region. For the Bugarach enigma is closely related to the secrets, magic, mysteries and treasures of Rennes-le-Chateau. The village where bestsellers like “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” and “The Da Vinci Code” found their origin.

Those secrets could be the discovery of a virtual Temple of Salomon in the area. Or a real Temple of Salomon under the Pech Cardou. Where the Arc of the Covenant might be buried. Or where Mary Magdalene and even Jesus might be buried. Important documents could be found, like a booklet written by Jesus or the genealogy of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The secrets of the Cathars and Knights Templar might surface. Or explosive secrets of early Christianity, of the preaching of Mary Magdalene in this region. Or maybe signs of previous civilisations like Lemuria and Atlantis. There are many possibilities.

It could be a shift in the frequency level of the earth. Where we could all move up to a higher frequency. To a higher vibrational level. And a higher consciousness. And become more aware of who we really are. Or even move into another dimension.

We could all undergo some kind of transformation. Changing our attitudes and our view of life.

It could mean a change in our religious beliefs systems. Where the Church, in order to survive, would have to undergo drastic changes. Letting go of ancient dogma’s, abolishing ancient power structures and foregoing their strive for material gain and secular power.

Where concepts like original sin, the inferiority of women, excommunication and many others would have to disappear. And where they Church would no longer condemn as sinful all that makes life worth living. That gives us joy.

It could be a change of attitude, world-wide. With more respect for nature, more respect for our the environment, more respect for mother Earth

It could be a change in values. No more patriarchy, no more materialism, no more search for power and going for results, ‘n’importe’ the consequences. No more hatred, no more violence, no more intolerance. Other values would become important. And Love will be our guiding factor, Universal love.

Sacred femininity will become important. New spiritual values will be adopted. Male and female energieswill be harmonized.

We will all be grateful for our lives we have been given and we will learn that we have a destiny here on earth, that we have a task to perform. Working more from the heart then from the head.

However these things are already happening. Spurred by the most violent century in human history, the twentieth century, where more then 200 million people were killed.

Spurred by the many catastrophes that now plague the earth. Like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, radioactive poisoning, abusing our natural resources. By the poisoning of our food and our seeds and the atmosphere. By large-scale pollution. And by the many wars that are still raging on.

And most certainly by all the man-made crises. The financial crises, the economic crises and the many other crises.

Maybe things will take a turn for the best. Maybe the all-powerful secret societies, the powerful government officials and the powerful multinationals will finally be exposed. And their manipulations will stop. So that the people need no longer be afraid and will be able to enjoy life.

New forms of energy may become available, like the free energy of the earth magnetic field and the free and clean energy of the Torus fields in the Universe. See the film “Trive”.

So many wonderful things could happen

My advice would be to stay inside. To rest. To meditate and be at peace. To have sufficient clean drinking water in house. And, most of all to have positive thoughts. For thoughts will have power in our new world.

I made a wonderful tour with two very good friends from Brasil. Mara and Tania {PIC 12}. We went to all the special places, like the cave of Mary Magdalene with next to it the Birthing Cave {PIC 13} and on the other side the recently discovered Cave of Jesus {PIC 14}. A cave with a very high energy. Then on to the Fountain of the Mother Goddess in Campagne-les-Bains, a beautiful place {PIC 15}. And of course the natural labyrinth of Nebias. Alas, here it started raining, so we had to go back. Not a place to go in late autumn or winter and certainly not when it is wet. For the ground is covered with leaves and the stones are very slippery. But there are more special places, like the littler church of St Salvayre {PIC 16}. The two sisters were very interested in my books about “Mary Magdalene in France” and “Jamie on his cloud.” Brazil they said is ready for Mary Magdalene! And they fiercely promised me to promote her. So here they are, my lovely agents in Brazil!

On this day our good friend and wonderful Webmaster Abraham Tol arrived. He is a real wizard with websites. So if you need a to improve your website or want to have a new website, here is your man {PIC 17}.

Then the evening came. And the tension rose in the house of Les Labadous. With Joke, back from the hospital where she got a new battery for her pulse generator, suppressing the pain coming from her hands and Franklin who had just returned from Luxembourg. At 1830 on EenVandaag there was a news item about Bugarach/the Apocalypse. With Marc Schrikkema as correspondent {PIC 18}. And me telling the viewers that no catastrophe would happen, but that I hoped that all the attention from press and media would serve to bring about a change of attitude in the world {PIC 19}. It was a good broadcast. They said I was a writer and even showed my latest books!

A little later, on RTL 4 News, I was the owner of a B&B, saying roughly the same. Then, at about the same time, my daughter Femke was live on TV. She was in a very popular program of BNN, called Serious Request. She was invited to come to Enschede, obviously because she had lived in Bugarach and had just returned to Holland. So she could not be a believer otherwise she would never have left the place a few months before the Apocalypse, where the whole world, except the Bugarach area, would go down. That was also the content of the briefing just before the broadcast. However when she was live on TV she was suddenly presented as a believer. As some one who really believed the world would go down. What a dirty trick! Femke was not prepared for this. She was flabbergasted. Nevertheless she stayed calm and answered as well as she could, the questions. Bravo Femke and shame on you BNN! {PIC 21}.

The same day an article about Bugarach appeared in our largest newspaper, de Telegraaf. With a picture of me. After this triple exposure on one day, I got a few e-mails from very old friends, from my time in the Navy, more then 30 years ago. Apparently I had become, overnight a BN, een Bekende Nederlander, a well-known Dutchman! The hectic day was then concluded with a beautiful Orb {PIC 22}.

This is the story of a media hype turning into a circus. Fortoday is the day. December 21st. The day of the Apocalypse. The day that the world will go down. The whole world? No a small village in France will resist. And be spared. The village of Bugarach at the foot of the magic mountain Pic Bugarach.

This morning we went to the village of Bugarach. Me and my friends Franklin and Abraham. A few miles before the village we were stopped by the gendarmerie. Three cars and about 20 persons were checking the traffic. Six cars were investigated. We had to show our passports and state our reason for visiting Bugarach. Our names were checked on a computer. After 15 minutes we were allowed to pass. When we neared the place the mountain was still there. Quiet, majestic and solid {PIC 23}. But on the road things became rather hectic. Some had taken the opportunity to protest against almost everything. Like transforming Bugarach into an airport for UFO’s {PIC 24}.

Bugarach itself was loaded with journalists. Look at me standing in the middle of the crowd {PIC 25}. There were about 20 vans with large discs on the roof. Fixed discs, no flying discs {PIC 26}. And many camera teams with expensive cameras, coming from all over the world. There were more than a thousand people on the street {PIC 27}. Mostly journalists and camera teams, interviewing every-one who looked remotely suspicious and even interviewing each other. Working in full swing {PIC 28}. There was gendarmerie in blue, ambulances in white, pompiers in red and police on horses {PIC 29}. All patrolling the streets. They were everywhere. And the gendarmerie was very friendly. The atmosphere was great. People were smiling and mildly excited. But there were of course quite a few mavericks. People dressed up for the occasion, as lovely aliens {PIC 30} or frightening extra-terrestrials {PIC 31}. And there were quite a few locals, people like us. People curious of what would happen to this, normally so quiet village. And of course, people with interesting faces, long hair, striking dressed and crazy stories. Being enthusiastic filmed by serious camera teams. Saying one day that they were the reincarnation of Christ Consciousness on earth and the next day that they had met the Virgin Mary, naked, on the summit of the Bugarach. But we know them. They are well-known, local mavericks {PIC 32}.

Fortunately there were several places where we could get Thai tea, warm wine and other, home made delicatessen.

On 12.12 local time we looked at the mountain. This was the moment. The time when things were supposed to happen. But nothing did. It remained quiet, the mountain did not shake or levitate, the world around us stayed in place, no UFO’s took off, no lights were seen or sounds were heard. All was peace and quiet. And nobody seemed to care very much. We saw no-one crying because the world did not end. No one shouting because they had not been taken away in a flying saucer. Nothing. Life went on as usual. Apparently not many people really believed that the world would end. But it was a wonderful happening.

We witnessed an incredible presentation of the press and media, from all over the world. An impressive presentation of the military and civil forces of France. A delightful gathering of mavericks and lunatics. And a lovely spectacle for the many locals and other, curious spectators. Media hype turned into a circus. At 1300 hours people started drifting away, out of the village. Going home or returning for their all-important lunch. But it is not over yet. The gendarmerie will be on the alert until December 23rd. And the roads will be closed until December 23rd. Again I will close with a special Orb. The Orb of the day {PIC 33}.

The period between December 21st and December 23rd is a very important time frame. Three days, so our spiritual guides tell us, where the earth will receive the maximum amount of energy from outer space. A time to meditate. To listen to music. To open our mind and our heart to a new life, a new world. To adopt new values, like love and empathy and respect for each other and for nature. To raise the frequency level of our body and that of the earth. To raise our level of consciousness. To visualise what we want to do in our life. And most important to think positively. For our thoughts will have power in the future, in this new world.

That day I was guiding friends from Switzerland and from France. Special people on a special day. Again we went to the Cave of Mary Magdalene {PIC 34}. Very dangerous for it had been raining that night. So we were very careful. First we went to the Birthing Cave. So far so good {PIC 35}. But then, after a meditation of 30 minutes, the cave began to fill up with Orbs. They were everywhere, swirling around us, pointing in bars and rods of light in all directions and engulfing us in a powerful mist of energy. The camera could no longer focus {PIC 36}. When I tried to take a picture of Leila, from no more then one metre away, using my flash, I could hardly get her face on the camera {PIC 37}. It was an awesome experience. Later that day we went to St Salvayre. To the church, but also to the famous Pierre Droite, a little further to the north. Hidden on the side of a footpath. That curious stone was beautifully ‘dressed’ in the light of the setting sun. A magnificent setting for magical pictures. See {PIC 38} and {PIC 39}.

A beautiful day. With the sun shining brightly and temperatures up to 14 degrees Celsius. Look how lovely Les Labadous is basking in the early morning sunlight {PIC 40}. And Joke enjoying the weather {PIC 42}. Sunday is the day of the market in Esperaza. The place to meet with friends, to exchange news, to buy all kinds of home made products and have a cup of coffee. Or a glass of pastis.

There are often white clouds in the valley, while Rennes-le-Chateau is in the clear. They make wonderful pictures. Look at the Pech Cardou rising up out of the clouds {PIC 42}.

It was busy on the market. Lots of people were shopping for Christmas. The most important event being the dinner party on December 24th, on Christmas Eve. With oysters {PIC 43} and mistletoe {PIC 44}. Out good friend Paul was there again with his wonderful ‘stroopwafels”, treacle waffles {PIC 45}.

And of course I had to visit Rennes-le-Chateau. It is so beautiful in this light. Look at the Tour Magdala {PIC 46}. And look at Mary Magdalene, finally visible in the full light of the sun. Stand in the porch of the church of Rennes-le-Chateau. Pointing with her cross at Les Labadous {PIC 47}. The place where I hope to see you again next year, dear friends.